Hibernian will have to wait until the outcome of the Scottish Cup final to see if they have secured European football next season.

They finished their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Hearts, yet their arch-rivals finished ahead of them in the Premiership table, and they will need to hope Celtic defeat Inverness Caledonian Thistle this weekend in order to enter the Europa Conference League at the second qualifying round.

Lee Johnson will be hoping to make improvements to his squad in the summer, although there could be some key players heading out of the exit door. Kevin Nisbet turned down the chance to join Championship side Millwall in January, although Hibs will be braced for further offers as clubs scouted him during their win over St Mirren at the start of the month.

The Easter Road outfit will need to replace him with someone who could score plenty in the Premiership, and former Hibs striker turned pundit Tam McManus believes Motherwell striker Kevin van Veen should be their main target.

He said the club need ‘two new strikers minimum’ in a recent column, before claiming van Veen should be one of them.

Given his excellent campaign, it could be a move worth pursuing.

Could Hibs sign Kevin van Veen this summer?

The 31-year-old still has a contract at the Steelmen until 2024 and Hibs would need to spend in order to lure him to the capital, however, it would be worth the money.

Van Veen scored 29 goals across all competitions during the 2022/23 campaign, and he was even nominated for the PFA Player of the Year while becoming the first Motherwell player in ten years to claim a place in the PFA Team of the Year.

It was a stunning season and his goals could certainly replace Nisbet's if he does depart this summer, with the Scotsman bagging 12 goals from just 19 league appearances, finishing as Hibs' top scorer and Van Veen would be an ideal choice for the club going forward.

The striker underlined his qualities by ranking as the second-best performer in the squad with a Sofascore rating of 7.07/10, while also ranking third for big chances created (three), second for key passes per game (1.1) and first for goals scored (25).

Clearly more than just a goalscorer, Johnson should be doing all he can to make a move before it is too late. Nisbet won't be around forever and sourcing a replacement should be of utmost priority.

The 6 foot 1 gem was lauded by journalist Ben Banks, who claimed that seven goals in four matches a few months ago was “frightening form” and that the striker was “on fire”.

Indeed, for a player outside any of the Old Firm clubs to score 25 league goals is something special and it would be quite the coup should Hibs bring him to the club.

تحدث عبد الرؤوف بن غيث لاعب فريق شباب بلوزداد الجزائري، عقب انتهاء مباراة الأهلي، التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وتعادل الأهلي سلبيًا مع شباب بلوزداد الجزائري، على أرضية ملعب 5 يوليو بالعاصمة الجزائرية، ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة من دور المجموعات.

وقال عبد الرؤوف في تصريحات عبر قناة “بي إن سبورتس”: “أهدرنا فرصًا كبيرة في بداية المباراة، واجهنا فريقًا كبيرًا لديه حارس مرمى كان متواجدًا في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا العام الماضي”.

طالع أيضاً.. فيديو | وائل جمعة منتقدًا كولر: لا أعلم لماذا صبر على لاعب الأهلي.. وهناك مكسب وحيد

وأضاف: “الحظ لم يحالفنا، عرفنا نقطة ضعف الأهلي ولعبنا عليها وحصلنا على نقطة”.

وأتم: “المباراة المقبلة في تنزانيا وسنذهب من أجل أن نحقق نتيجة إيجابية، متبقي أمامنا مباراتين بست نقاط والحظوظ كلها متساوية”.

The match between India Blue and India Green laboured to a predictable draw in Greater Noida, as India Blue, who began the final day with a lead of 555, batted on until they were bowled out an hour from the dinner break

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsPragyan Ojha suffered a blow to the head and had to be stretchered off the field•PTI

The match between India Blue and India Green laboured to a predictable draw in Greater Noida, as India Blue, who began the fourth and final day with a lead of 555, chose not to declare and batted on until they were bowled out an hour from the dinner break. India Green, left with a target of 769, raced to 179 for 4 courtesy half-centuries from M Vijay (73) and Robin Uthappa (66) before the players shook hands as the match entered its final hour.India Blue collected three points, by virtue of their 470-run first-innings lead, and set up a final date with India Red. India Green ended their campaign with a solitary point, having lost outright to India Red in the tournament opener.Outplayed from the time they were asked to bowl first, India Green’s day was made worse by a freak head injury to Pragyan Ojha. Ojha, fielding at mid-on, got down to stop Pankaj Singh’s thwack, but the ball bounced unexpectedly and struck him on the side of his head. Ojha lay motionless, clutching his head, before being stretchered off. He was taken to a nearby multispeciality hospital and a neurosurgeon was consulted. Later in the day, the BCCI revealed that Ojha was safe, tweeting a picture of him on his hospital bed, flashing a smile and a thumbs-up.At the time of Ojha’s injury, India Blue were nine down. The day had begun with overnight batsmen Gautam Gambhir and Mayank Agarwal completing half-centuries, while Cheteshwar Pujara struck a brisk 31. Sheldon Jackson and Dinesh Karthik then came together for a fifth-wicket stand of 46. After Karthik’s dismissal for 57, Jackson took centrestage, and the first-innings centurion once again gave India Green a hard time, tonking six fours and five sixes. When Pankaj Singh was cleaned up by Shreyas Gopal, Jackson was unbeaten 79 off 77 balls. Shreyas ended with figures of 4 for 53.India Green’s batsmen decided to have some fun and their innings made for entertaining viewing. M Vijay set the tone with an edged boundary over gully off the very first ball of the innings, and the batsmen frequently stepped out and hit over the top. Jalaj Saxena did not last long with that approach, however, flashing at one outside off to be caught at point. Thereafter, Uthappa and Vijay added 116 for the second wicket off just 134 balls.The two took a liking to legspinner Karn Sharma, who offered them generous flight. They stepped down the track and heaved him either side of the wicket, frequently targeting long-on and long-off.Green’s batsmen had their share of luck, too. Karn put down a tough chance when Vijay hammered one straight back at him on 31. He was offered another life when Jackson misjudged a catch at extra-cover off the same bowler with Vijay on 46. The reprieves did not alter the second-wicket pair’s approach, however. Uthappa raised his half-century by creaming Abhimanyu Mithun through extra cover in the 21st over, and Vijay joined him less than three overs later, lofting Karn for a boundary through the same region.Karn, however, continued flighting the ball. He began finding turn too, and had Uthappa holing out to cover point, while Vijay picked out long-off.Parthiv Patel’s brief stay was ended by Parvez Rasool who got one to drift in and trap him lbw. Shortly thereafter, Gambhir decided he had had enough, and the players shook hands with Saurabh Tiwary unbeaten on 20, and Shreyas giving him company on 3.

Newcastle United have scheduled talks regarding a new long-term contract for Fabian Schar, according to reports.

Is Fabian Schar leaving Newcastle?

The Magpies centre-back first arrived in the Premier League from Deportivo de La Coruna back in 2018 and has since gone on to make a total of 141 appearances to date, establishing himself as a regular feature in Eddie Howe’s side having made 36 top-flight starts from 38 games last season.

The Switzerland international, however, will be out of contract at the end of next season meaning that the upcoming window could be the northeast outfit’s last chance to cash in, should they not want to extend his stay, nor risk losing him for free, but it sounds like they don’t plan on letting the 31-year-old go anywhere for the foreseeable future.

Are Newcastle giving Schar a new contract?

According to Football Insider, Newcastle, and by extension owners PIF, are “keen to discuss” fresh terms with Schar and plan to open talks over the summer in a bid to tie him down at St. James’ Park. PIF are not only hoping to “protect” the defender’s value, but also “reward” him for his excellent standard of performances under Howe.

The 6 foot 1 titan can begin talks regarding a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs as of January 2024 due to his situation, but the board are no doubt hoping that he will decide to commit his future to the long-term project in the black and white stripes.

Should Newcastle keep or sell Schar?

Newcastle are reportedly confident of agreeing a new long-term contract for Bruno Guimaraes, and having once been hailed a “solid” centre-back by journalist Josh Bunting, Schar is definitely another player that deserves to stay longer.

The Puma-sponsored colossus, who earns £40k-per-week, averaged 3.8 clearances and 3.1 aerial wins per top-flight game last season, via WhoScored, so was a real rock at the heart of the backline, but he can equally be a threat pushing up the pitch.

The Sports360 client, who has the versatility to operate in defensive midfield, ranks in the 99th percentile for three different statistics, including total number of shots, not to mention that he posted four goal contributions (three assists and one goal) last term in the Premier League.

The Magpies will know that Schar isn’t getting any younger, so there’s a chance that he could be offered more of a short-term deal, but regardless of the length of the contract, it’s still fully warranted for the positive impact he has on Howe’s side.

Leeds United will head to the London Stadium this afternoon to continue their relegation battle in their Premier League clash with West Ham United and Sam Allardyce will be hoping his team can put up a fight in the penultimate game of the season.

The Whites are currently 18th in the top-flight table and two points deep in the relegation zone heading into their final away fixture, so picking up nothing short of all three points from the Hammers this weekend will be crucial to their survival hopes.

A 2-2 draw with Newcastle United last weekend should give the Leeds squad a boost of confidence in their capabilities to retain their Premier League status by next weekend, however, with Everton and Leicester City also battling to beat a drop down to the Championship, there is still work to be done.

As a result, Allardyce will be looking to fill his starting eleven with experienced players he can rely on to provide a positive outlook for the West Yorkshire club ahead of the final day of the season, and an opportunity for Pascal Struijk to start could present itself in east London today.

Will Pascal Struijk start against West Ham?

Leeds have been plagued with injuries throughout the season and will be without Tyler Adams, Luis Sinisterra and Stuart Dallas against the Hammers, whilst Marc Roca and Liam Cooper will be subjected to late fitness tests ahead of the clash.

Not only that, Junior Firpo will be unavailable for selection at left-back due to a one-match suspension after he picked up two yellow cards and a sending off against the Magpies at Elland Road last week, paving the way for Struijk to reprise his role on the left flank.

The versatile £50k-per-week titan – hailed "tremendous" by Tony Dorigo – has played predominantly in the left-back position this season but is also extremely experienced in the centre-back role too, giving Allardyce a player he can utilise across the defensive set-up in the final fixtures.

Over 27 league appearances, Struijk has scored two goals, registered one assist and successfully completed the majority of his dribbles (56%), as well as averaging 2.3 clearances, 2.8 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 5.6 duels won per game, proving that he is both potent in attack and defensively sound when playing in the back four.

With that being said, it would be an absolute no-brainer for Allardyce to unleash Struijk against West Ham as not only will he replace Firpo, but the full-back could revive Leeds' season if he can provide a moment of magic away from home.

Hibernian will have to wait until the outcome of the Scottish Cup final to see if they have secured European football next season.

They finished their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Hearts, yet their arch-rivals finished ahead of them in the Premiership table, and they will need to hope Celtic defeat Inverness Caledonian Thistle this weekend in order to enter the Europa Conference League at the second qualifying round.

Lee Johnson will be hoping to make improvements to his squad in the summer, although there could be some key players heading out of the exit door. Kevin Nisbet turned down the chance to join Championship side Millwall in January, although Hibs will be braced for further offers as clubs scouted him during their win over St Mirren at the start of the month.

The Easter Road outfit will need to replace him with someone who could score plenty in the Premiership, and former Hibs striker turned pundit Tam McManus believes Motherwell striker Kevin van Veen should be their main target.

He said the club need ‘two new strikers minimum’ in a recent column, before claiming van Veen should be one of them.

Given his excellent campaign, it could be a move worth pursuing.

Could Hibs sign Kevin van Veen this summer?

The 31-year-old still has a contract at the Steelmen until 2024 and Hibs would need to spend in order to lure him to the capital, however, it would be worth the money.

Van Veen scored 29 goals across all competitions during the 2022/23 campaign, and he was even nominated for the PFA Player of the Year while becoming the first Motherwell player in ten years to claim a place in the PFA Team of the Year.

It was a stunning season and his goals could certainly replace Nisbet's if he does depart this summer, with the Scotsman bagging 12 goals from just 19 league appearances, finishing as Hibs' top scorer and Van Veen would be an ideal choice for the club going forward.

The striker underlined his qualities by ranking as the second-best performer in the squad with a Sofascore rating of 7.07/10, while also ranking third for big chances created (three), second for key passes per game (1.1) and first for goals scored (25).

Clearly more than just a goalscorer, Johnson should be doing all he can to make a move before it is too late. Nisbet won't be around forever and sourcing a replacement should be of utmost priority.

The 6 foot 1 gem was lauded by journalist Ben Banks, who claimed that seven goals in four matches a few months ago was “frightening form” and that the striker was “on fire”.

Indeed, for a player outside any of the Old Firm clubs to score 25 league goals is something special and it would be quite the coup should Hibs bring him to the club.

Liverpool have 'high confidence' that they can conclude a deal to bring in Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister in the forthcoming transfer window, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest transfer news involving Alexis Mac Allister?

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has recently dropped an update on the state of play surrounding Mac Allister's future, stating on Twitter: "Alexis Mac Allister, expected to bid his farewell to Brighton fans after final game after his fantastic experience at the club since 2020. He’s prepared to leave the club in June with Liverpool frontrunners — close to complete the deal, waiting on final details."

Football Insider claim that Brighton's impending capture of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud has increased the likelihood of the Argentina international moving to Anfield in the off-season.

The report states that the Seagulls are 'resigned' to losing their prize asset to Liverpool and plan to use the funds recouped from his sale to bolster their engine room.

One outlet in Argentina has signalled that a deal to take Mac Allister to Merseyside has already been ratified and will cost the Reds £61 million.

Mac Allister earns £50,000 on his current contract at Brighton, which runs until 2025 on the South Coast, according to Capology.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs has revealed that there is a 'form of exit clause' in Mac Allister's present terms at Brighton, though they still have some details to thrash out to make the transfer official.

Jacobs told FFC: "Mac Allister also does have a clause in his current deal, which was signed just before the World Cup. It can be referred to as a form of exit clause, but it isn't a traditional release clause and it helps facilitate a move and allows Liverpool to do a lot of legwork on the player side, but they will still have to agree a fee with Brighton. This is one that Liverpool have got high confidence in, they have done for quite some time, but Brighton always do things on their terms and usually at their valuation as well. That club-to-club aspect would still need to be completed, but this is one that Liverpool feel has a high likelihood of coming off."

Would Alexis Mac Allister be a good signing for Liverpool?

Mac Allister, who was hailed as Brighton's "golden boy", has been a joy to watch in the Premier League this campaign and would enrich Liverpool's midfield if he is to complete a switch to Anfield this summer.

In 2022/23, the 24-year-old has made 39 appearances in all competitions for Brighton, registering 12 goals and three assists, as per Transfermarkt.

The playmaker has also illustrated his inventiveness on the field for the Seagulls this term, racking up 1.4 key passes per match in the English top flight, according to WhoScored.

FBRef shows that the Argentine has been a prevalent chance provider this campaign, successfully performing 105 shot-creating actions in total.

With Liverpool seemingly in the market for midfield reinforcements in the upcoming window, Mac Allister would be a very intelligent signing by Jurgen Klopp as he looks ahead to 2023/24.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has retired from football in typical fashion after he snapped back at rival fans for booing him in his goodbye speech.

Why is Ibrahimovic retiring?

The AC Milan forward is finally hanging up his boots at the tender age of 41, having scored 511 goals for clubs including Paris St-Germain, Manchester United, Ajax and both Milan teams, while also winning league titles in four different countries.

Ibrahimovic has played only four matches in Serie A this season due to fitness struggles and his injuries are a big reason why he won’t have his contract renewed, with AC Milan confirming as much before this week’s game against Verona (via ESPN).

Despite not being able to feature much this term, he helped bring the Scudetto to San Siro in 2021/22 when he netted eight goals and claimed three assists in 23 games.

Having not been fit enough to play any part in the final game of the Serie A season this weekend, he still was in attendance and took to the pitch after the game to deliver an emotional speech.

However, as caught in footage shared on Twitter, the Verona fans were more than happy to boo him.

In typical Ibra fashion, he quickly quipped back: “Keep booing. This is the biggest moment in your year seeing me”.

As quoted by Sempre Milan, the rest of his speech was pretty emotional as he even shed a tear or two, saying: “I can’t breathe but it’s fine. So many memories and so many emotions here. The first time I arrived at Milan you gave me happiness, the second time you gave me love.”

He also added: “I want to thank the fans. You received me with open arms, you made me feel at home, I will be a Milanista for life. The time has come to say goodbye to football, not to you. See you around if you’re lucky, forza Milan and goodbye.”

After seeing the footage of those brutal comments he made to the Verona crowd, supporters on social media flocked to Twitter to have their say.

Here are some of the best reactions…

The compliments just kept rolling in…

علق أحمد مجاهد رئيس اتحاد الكرة الأسبق، على فترة توليه المسؤولية خلال اللجنة المؤقتة لإدارة الجبلاية، موضحًا موقفه من الترشح في الانتخابات المقبلة.

وقال أحمد مجاهد في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة اون تايم سبورتس: “توليت رئاسة اتحاد الكرة سنة وشهر، عندما كنت جالسا مع المهندس هاني أبو ريدة مع مسؤولي فيفا من أجل اختيار لجنة لإدارة الاتحاد لحين إجراء الانتخابات”.

وتابع: “فجأة قالوا طالما أحمد مجاهد لن يترشح إذًا يتولى رئاسة اللجنة ويحل الأزمة، وأنا قلت إذا كنت سأتولى المسؤولية سأختار اثنين معي، الشواربي وأحمد حسام عوض، ولا يوجد ملف داخل الاتحاد إلا وكانا يعرفان عنه كل شيء”.

طالع | أحمد مجاهد يعلق على تعيينه مراقباً لنهائي كأس أمم إفريقيا.. ويصرح: العلاقة بين كاف والمغرب ليست تنافسية

وأكمل: “المجموعة الكبيرة في الاتحاد كانت تجتمع جتمع أكثر من ساعتين يوميا لمناقشة كل الملفات، والكل كان يقول رأيه، وجميعهم من أصحاب الخبرات، والأمر الثاني أنا جئت وأنا تحت القصف، الإعلام لم يكن يساندني، ولم أكن مدعوما، وهذا كان دافعا أن أعمل وأنا في كامل تركيزي حتى لا أخطئ”.

وبسؤاله هل ستدخل الانتخابات المُقبلة؟، أوضح: “أنا أخذت التدرج في الخبرة، لكن هناك أقدميات إذا أراد أحد من أصحاب الخبرة القدامى أن يترشح سأكون داعما له، ولن أترشح أمام جمال علام أو أي من القدامى، أنا أرى أن التدرج الطبيعي إذا لم يترشح أحد من القدامى سأترشح”.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly in the running to sign Fiorentina sensation, Sofyan Amrabat this summer, with new boss Ange Postecoglou seemingly seeking to strengthen his midfield ranks ahead of next season.

What's the latest on Amrabat to Tottenham?

According to French outlet Foot Mercato, the 26-year-old is said to be among those who the ex-Celtic manager is targetting ahead of the upcoming window, with the Lilywhites attempting to 'overtake' their rival suitors in the race for the Morocco international's signature.

The report suggests that while the former Club Brugge ace has also spoken to Barcelona boss Xavi, regarding a potential move to Camp Nou, the north Londoners are seemingly intent on putting themselves at the front of the queue, with the likes of Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich also sniffing around.

The piece goes on to add that the Netherlands-born maestro – who has just a year left to run on his existing deal in Florence – could command a fee of around €30m (£26m), making him a potentially affordable option for Postecoglou and co.

Should Tottenham sign Sofyan Amrabat?

The signing of the in-demand ace – who was hailed as the "best centre midfielder" at the World Cup in Qatar by journalist Carlo Garganese – could well help Postecoglou to find a dream partner to current Spurs star, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

With the latter man offering a destructive and dominant force at the base of the midfield, having averaged 1.6 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game this season in the Premier League, Amrabat could well be a perfect foil due to his innate ball-playing prowess.

The one-time Utrecht ace notably ranks in the top 8% among his European peers for progressive passes as well as in the top 5% for pass completion as a marker of that ability to dictate play in the centre of the park, having also averaged a standout 90% pass accuracy rate in Serie A in 2022/23.

The 48-cap titan's quality was notably on show in the recent Europa Conference League final clash with West Ham United, with journalist Muhammad Butt writing that the Fiorentina gem had taken midfield counterpart, Declan Rice "to school" as a sign of his dominance, despite ending up on the losing side.

Hailed as "criminally underrated" by Butt in contrast to Rice – who could fetch around £92m this summer amid interest from Arsenal – the £32k-per-week star put on an "absolute clinic" in that showpiece tussle, according to writer Zach Lowy.

That outing notably saw Amrabat win nine duels and make 99 touches as a marker of his influence on the game, while the West Ham man, by contrast, won just five duels and was restricted to only 41 touches, as per Sofascore.

That ability to win back possession would suggest that the 6 foot 1 ace would also aid Hojbjerg in carrying out his defensive duties, having also averaged 1.3 tackles per game in Serie A this season.

While unlikely to offer much in an attacking sense – as he ranks in just the bottom 6% for touches in the opposition penalty area – Amrabat could then allow the current Spurs man the opportunity to get forward more freely, with the experienced Dane having bagged four goals and five assists in the league in 2022/23 to illustrate his attacking potential.

Although Postecoglou may have a fight on his hands to win the battle for the coveted ace's signature, it could be of real benefit to both himself – and to Hojbjerg – if a deal can be completed.